“These were negotiated agreements that everyone could live with”
From our Radio show the owner of Haydees spoke of the 2 year legal struggle she went through before she felt that she had to sign to save her business. If you missed the show we are in the progress of getting the transcripts up on the website - as well as written testimonies that document the “negotiations” that took place over VAs.

“They didn’t want live music”

OR

“As far as banning live music, I did no such thing. None of the establishments wanted live entertainment in the first place and none of them had it on their applications. So when it was negotiated not to have it, it wasn’t an issue to them.”

To this I must ask, then why ban music. By negotiating it in their VA so that they legally are not allowed to have live music that is the same as banning it. I am missing the differences.

(These opinions are my own and not necessarily those of Hear Mount Pleasant)

Outweigh? How ridiculous. These agreements represent compromises. These were negotiated agreements. They contained provisions all could live with. If the businesses did not like it, then they should not have signed.

Now, it is not only Lauries right. it is the rights of neighbors that live in close proximity of the strip and whose lifes and property values will be affected. These is no rare, extremist MTP practice: just see how many establishments in the city have the same agreements. You know why? THE LAW gives neighbors the THE RIGHT to protest a license. You do not like it? Move to the jungle. In this land, people –businesses and neighbors–compromise, agree, and sign enforceable contracts.

Booooring…

I want to direct you all to http://www.mtpleasantdc.org. In the “forum”, under “hot topics”, under “music”, there are some real arguments. Not this low back and forth. PRN, linda and monicaru have inteligent and well written postings. No one from the music side has even remotely come close to address the topics they raise. Brains are urgently needed.

Ms. Collins residency is an amorphous side issue, both personal and public, given that she chose to take a public leadership role on this issue and maintain her role beyond her actual residency in the neighborhood. Her 20 years aside, it seems that she is not currently residing there. The past is the past, and this is about the rights of the current residents of Mt. Pleasant. Residency and domicile are partly legal issues though, which I am not qualified to comment on. She does still live in DC, regardless. If she had moved to VA or MD, it might have been a bigger deal.

One thought I had is that Ms. Collins formerly had a residential interest in her property, and her tone in the Post article was that she was protecting her rights as a resident to be free from noise and parking violations. Is there an implication that she is instead protecting an investment interest in an asset in a civil proceeding? I don’t think so. They have a name for this when you do it in the stock market, but it seems that most of the action likely occured prior to the residency switch up. But all that aside, this does raise an interesting question: At what point does Ms. Collins’ interest outweigh the following five interests?

1). The commercial interest of another real property owner to offer live entertainment to compete with other neighborhoods and states (VA)–i.e. is this unnecessary restraint on free trade (for both touring musicians and local musicians) given the existing regulations covering noise violations and parking violations. From personal experience I can guarantee you that the city has no problems ticketing, towing, and booting cars in that or any other neighborhood.;

2). The 1st amendment expression rights of the artists–by MPNA promoting their own outdoor concerts while denying almost all non-religious music, they are in effect a quasi governmental organization that allows some music and disallows other music. They seek to control art in order to curb (pun intended) parking and noise violations. They might argue that they are only seekign to control a few bars, but noise restrictions in most residential neighborhoods effectively make it so that no drummer can ever play in a house unless they spend ten grand to soundproof the place. Only commercial establishments are left for group performances, and like it or not, bars are where music happens. Time, place, and manner restrictions are all well and good, but this is a systematic effort to control all non-religious musical expression in this area of the city.;

3). The commercial interests of musicians who wish to practice their trade in the area. Though from experience I can say that there are few musicians who can make their livelihood from music outside of playing at weddings, so this is likely a non-issue.

4). The rights of the residents who want to hear music performed locally. This causes people to have to spend money to travel to other neighborhoods to hear music. It doesn’t sound like much, but if 300 Mt. Pleasant residents have to pay cab or metro fare every weekend to go a mile or two to hear music, then that adds up to a lot of money that is being spent by residents to support a few property owners (perhaps absentee property owers) who are fearful of parking violators.

5). And finally, the property interests of the other owners who feel that having a healthy arts scene will actually increase property values of their homes ala Clarendon (VA), 18th street, U street, 14th street, Mount Vernon Square, etc. One could compare this neighborhood to others and find that residential property values are in fact being depressed. Or one could argue that some residents would rather see property values hold steady, given that the main effect of a increase in property value for a long term resident is higher property taxes. (Though I am a renter, so perhaps a home owner will happily disabuse me of my notion.)

Finally, what increased value has Ms. Collins been able to garner for her property at the expense of the other taxpayers in her area who might like to see or play music? Does she have a right in perpetuity to this government enforced benefit, as she claims, or is there a limit on how long one can contract away other’s rights to expression?

Jerkis: Thank you for finally admitting you don’t know me. You don’t know me at all.

Peace, Out

And I would never think that bragging about “rocking out” at a Dead show with a Sam Adams was cool. I think your use of the words “rocking out,” “Grateful Dead concert” and “Sam Adams” should disqualify you from having any say with what goes on in a Mt. Pleasant bar.

What’s next Laurie? You’re gonna tell me you caught the Doobie Brothers while smoking a Virginia Slim?

As for the group, hey, I am all for it–we have people who care about knitting, gardening, children, yoga and pilates and care enough to form groups to bring that as well to our neighborhood.

ME fearful of hearing a rock band and drinking a beer? Jherkis, you don’t know me at all do you. You mean you’ve never seen me at a Grateful Dead concert…with a Sam Adams in hand rocking out?

Tsk tsk….you must not get out much.

Tag you’re it!

So you think “not too many people care about having live entertainment.” I’d like to see the polling data that backs this up. Obviously people do care and care enough to form a group to bring live music to Mt. Pleasant.

Please. Laurie you continue to avoid the real reason you don’t want live music–parking. I’m sorry but it is already impossible to park in Mt. Pleasant after 8 p.m. So how would having live music make the parking situation in your neighborhood worse? It’s already bad.

Please tell me what it is about hearing a rock band and drinking a beer that makes you so fearful?

Of course with me posting back and baited by you, I suppose I keep it alive as well. As far as cultural history, you brought it up–you mentioned music in venues, I mentioned alcohol in music venues–

Sorry to disappoint you Cherkis, I may be back in Mt. Pleasant sooner than you think.

Peace, Out

Laurie, please stay in Cleveland Park.

How can I hate renters Cherkis? I’m a RENTER. I was misquoted, just like you are misinformed.

As far as banning live music, I did no such thing. None of the establishments wanted live entertainment in the first place and none of them had it on their applications. So when it was negotiated not to have it, it wasn’t an issue to them.

Second, there are 8 establishments in Mt. Pleasant that are CR’s. Five of them either don’t want live music or have already signed agreements for live music with MPNA in the last 3-4 months. So, I would say the majority is just fine.

WTF you say about cultural history? Did you know that Mt. Pleasant used to be a DRY neighborhood? No alcohol at all. If you are so pissed about not having any musical cultural history in Mt. Pleasant, maybe we should try and bring the dry cultural history back as well. What do you say?

There are quite a number of neighborhoods who don’t have live music. Mt. Pleasant is not unique. Do your homework. I am not ashamed of anything and I will continue to do what I do for the MPNA and Mount Pleasant.

Peace Out